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Community Awareness Grants to help increase donor registration

Minister for Aged Care
Minister for Indigenous Health
Member for Hasluck

Media Release

6 April 2017

The Turnbull government has made available $473,000 in Community Awareness Grants to support community-based initiatives to boost the number of registered organ donors and applications are now open.

The Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt, who has responsibility in the health portfolio for advancing organ and tissue donation for transplantation, announced today that the funding is available to support community-based activities that promote awareness of the Australian Organ Donor Register and encourage Australians to register online to save lives.

“Only a third of Australians aged 16 years and over have joined the national Register, despite 81 per cent believing that registration is important,” Minister Wyatt said today.

“The Australian Government invites applications for community-based donor registration drives and supporting activities to be held during DonateLife Week 2017 (Sunday 30 July – Sunday 6 August), or for other targeted community awareness and education activities to promote organ and tissue donation.

“Registration of donation decisions has a direct influence on increasing Australia’s donation rate. Nine out of ten times, families agree to donation proceeding when the deceased is a registered donor, because they are in no doubt of their loved one’s wishes.

“Targeted community awareness and education projects play an important role in engaging people on the topic of organ and tissue donation.

“The community is an essential partner in helping to normalise organ and tissue donation as part of end-of-life decision-making. The DonateLife Community Awareness Grants recognise the value and impact of community-led initiatives in promoting the benefits of organ and tissue donation and the importance of registering donation decisions.”

Minister Wyatt said in 2016 a record number 1,713 lives were saved through the generosity of 503 deceased organ donors and their families and 267 living donors. More than 9,000 Australian lives were transformed through the gift of eye and tissue donation.

“More than 1,400 Australians and their families are waiting for a life-saving transplant,” he said.

“The DonateLife Community Awareness Grants are provided by the Organ and Tissue Authority as part of its national community awareness and education program. Applications are invited from non-government organisations and professional bodies, including community-based not-for-profit organisations and local government associations.

The closing date for applications is 10:00am AEST Thursday, 27 April 2017. For more information please visit the DonateLife website: www.donatelife.gov.au